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Sunday, March 11, 2012

Now that I have finished going on and on and on about my kitchen, I will drag you guys over to the dining area of my little house in Florida.....

Wanting to continue the West Indies feel of dark wood mixed with tropical accents, I found this wonderful dining room table that had the feeling of a Spanish colonial somebody or other.

(I don't know what I'm blathering on about, but I hope you get my drift.)

I chose these really comfortable wicker chairs from janus et cie,

a wonderful

company that makes indoor and outdoor wicker. So although these are indoor wicker chairs, I was able to match the feeling with my outdoor wicker that I use by my pool.

(God, how chichi does that sound?????)

I made the seat cushions out of square toss pillows that I covered in vintage barkcloth.

CONFESSION TIME

I have a leetle leetle problem with controlling my urge to buy every piece of vintage floral barkcloth in America.

I used different patterns, 'cuz I like to mix it up!!!

and......

All this barkcloth started with some new barkcloth fabrics I found at the Boston Design Center.

No one else in the world likes what I do, 'cuz the fabrics I use are

ALWAYS

being discontinued.

This was the fabric I first found, that set the overall feel for my house.....

Here's a closer view.....

I think it's PRETTY!!!!!!!!!!!

I used it on the draperies in both the living and dining area, as well as my TV chair.

I found the chandelier at Antiques on Five, an antique store also at the Boston Design Center.

I tell ya, that place vacuums the money out of my pocket.

I guess it's only fair, 'cuz sometimes it

slides some money right back in.

OK guys, this was not a chandelier when I bought it.

I'll tell you what I did to it,

BUT FIRST.....

let me explain about the green drop crystals.

They don't belong on this chandelier. I hung them there to annoy my friend and neighbor (Chloe's mom) Lissette.

Every time she comes to my house, they drive her crazy,

SO, OF COURSE...I CAN'T TAKE THEM DOWN!!!!!

This piece was a hanging candelabra.

It had spikes at the end of each arm on which to fasten a thick candle.

So I took it to my trusty lamp guys, Blanche P. Fields, (also in the Boston Design Center) and had them wire it, add the bobeches, canopy, paint them to match and then addcandle slips and make the lampshades.

Woo, it makes me tired just to think about all that work!!!

No that's wrong.

It makes me feel poorer, 'cuz all that work was

A LOT OF MONEY!!!!

Here's another view of my little dining area.....

There's lots more to share, so I'll continue on Tuesday.

OMG.....

No, I won't .....

YOU KNOW WHAT TUESDAY IS?????????

It's OY VEY!! Q&A!! Tuesday!!!!!

So I'll continue this on Thursday, 'cuz on Tuesday, I giving away free advice to some poor shmo.

Your cottage and especially this room reminds me so much of my visits to Coral Gables, where my grandparents lived when I was growing up. I'm fighting the urge to jump on ebay and purchase barkcloth and pelican planters- how dumb would they look here in Charlottesville or in my house in San Antonio?! Your cottage is just perfect. Id never leave!

Your dining room is so pretty, and love that fabric. Love the barkcloth on the walls and really like the table and wicker chairs, so love wicker. Great decorating! Thanks for sharing your creative inspiration over at Sunday's Best.

Thats really neat! Loved seeing a candle fixture get wired into a chandy. I wondered about the crystals~now I just bought a bunch of antique amber crystals that same shape but they have the little round ball too...you might have to come shopping at my store and snap them up! They would match your walls!

Betsy, you don't have to drag me kicking and screaming to see any of your gorgeous Florida home. I enjoy the blow by blow account of how you came to have certain pieces, like the chandy. Your use of colors and patterns is exciting. Thank you for coming to Your Cozy Home Party to share your lovely cottage dining room. --------------- Shannon

Hi Betsy, I love visiting here because I get to see great design and you always crack me up. What a wonderful dining room table and the wicker chairs are perfect. Thanks for linking to the Open House party.

I love your fabric choices! I like mixing fabrics, too. All of the textures and colors definitely create the tropical look. Have I mentioned to you that I'm inviting myself over to stay with you and have a little Florida vaca? Haha.Thanks for sharing your little piece of tropical paradise with us Show & Tell.

What a fun dining room! This project would be perfect for our linky party featuring "Transformations" called Repurpose-Remodel-Reveal, I know our readers would love to see it too! (It starts tomorrow- Friday, March 16th 2012 at 7:00 am and reoccures every 1st and 3rd Friday)

Betsy, I LOVE this. I think it's amazing how you've let your home "talk" to you about style, from furnishings to colors, they all work brilliantly. The table and the wicker chairs work so well together. Guess that's why you're the professional! Loved your popcorn eating pig from the other post, you keep me laughing! thanks for linking up to VIF!

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I've been a designer for longer than some of you have been alive. I have now started a new page of my career, closing my firm and designing furniture, as well as writing decorating books. Some of you may be familiar with my work over the years by seeing me in magazines. I tend to think that I'm funny, so please read my postings with a grain of salt thrown in for flavor. My spelling is atrocious, so I am refusing any responsibility for spell check right here and now. I hope anyone reading this will enjoy the pictures, info and humor.